Random O/O & trucking questions
 

I hope this is the right forum for this. Although I’m not a trucker I’ve been lurking around here as I have an interest in the trucking biz. Who knows - I might even try my hand out if the economy improves (Yes I've read all the "don't try it now" posts, so I consider myself warned). So here are a few random O/O questions that I had:

1. Generally speaking, does travelling on a freeway versus a 2 lane highway or country road affect your cost per mile? I’m thinking of the effects of lower speed & aerodynamics versus travelling on rougher pavement.

2. How much would you recommend spending on your 1st truck (i.e East-coast tractor w. sleeper, 80-90k gvw)? What sort of mileage/wear and tear could you reasonably expect? I've read that one should start with a solid but no frills aero truck - which makes sense to me.

3. As an independent, is there money to be made in regional trucking (i.e within Ontario/Quebec)? Or does one have to go OTR to make ends meet?

4. I've also been playing with load boards - but I can't see any of the rates. So, in the Ontario/Quebec region can you make decent money on runs that take you into rural areas, or is the money mostly in traveling on major highways to big cities? (I'm also assuming that you wouldn't take a rural job unless you could also find another load nearby that would get you home.)

5. I see a lot of flatbeds with odd shaped loads. Is it possible or desirable to improve your aerodynamics by tarping? How much of an effect might that have?

6. Curiosity: are northern trucks rustproofed (ie oil coated) on a regular basis - like we do for our cars?

Thanks in advance!

1. no not really.. unless its a toll road. then most times (unless you are leased to a company) you have to pay tolls.

2. what i tell people is.. get the truck for the job! IE: if your running weight threw alot of hill.. more hp.. shorter gearing. also fuel milage has to be a factor. the things i'm looking at are generaly no weight (us mail). my boss has a single axle volvo getting close to 8mpg! 365 s60 detroit, 2.93 rear with a 10 speed rockwell. all on flat ground.

3. ther is ALWAYS money everywhere.. you just have to really look for it.. however chances are.. if the money is good.. someone took it already.

the other 3.. i'll leave to everyone else to answer

oh and on a second note.. i sugest signing on with a company before you take the plundge. me.. i've been around this business my entire life. i know the ups.. i know the downs and everything between. speaking of downs.. i'm off to bed. gotta be in the door at 4:30am. good luck!

It doesn't make any difference whether you travel on a freeway or 2 lane road as far as cost per mile is concerned. The difference could be which is shorter and has fewer stops such as going through small towns, traffic lights, etc., You will probably get better fuel mileage sticking with the interstate, but not always. If he route is shorter going 2 lane roads then I may take that route to save fuel but may go the interstate if I can save time. Lower speeds can help your mileage but if you are doing a lot of stopping and starting that will offset any potential savings.


You should be able to find a good truck for less than $20,000, especially today with all the repo's. Wear and tear is something that is very individualized. Some people take care of their equipment and others abuse theirs. The type of driving, where you go and what you haul can also impact the type of equipment you should purchase.

I don't know anything about current rates for in-country rates in Canada, but a friend of mine crosses the border on occasion and gets pretty decent rates for a flat bed. But that is going back and forth from the U.S. to Canada and back. I could not tell you about going back and forth from Quebec and Ontario.

Sorry, someone else is going to need to answer this one. But, I expect truckers in Canada are deadheading more than a year ago just as we are.

You might help your aerodynamics with tarping, but that is not the reason most people tarp. We tarp to protect the load.

As far as I know manufacturers don't rustproof big trucks, at least in the U.S. We get enough oil from the trucks and road to slow down the rust. We do try to wash the equipment more frequently when we have been in a lot of salt.

Thnaks for the replies. I know that tarps are mainy used as protection, but I was wondering if there were ways to drop your cost by making your load more aerodynamic. I guess I'm interested in best practices that can keep your costs down and give you an edge.

The rustproofing I was thinking of is an annual oil bath. It works pretty well with cars.

One other question: In your experience, how accurate are the prices on Truckpaper? How much wiggle room do you think there is between advertised prices and the final negotiated sale price? I'm asking for best guesses... well, unless you heppen to be a used truck salesman.

There could be some aerodynamic benefit from using a tarp, but you still have something that is providing wind resistance whether it is tarped or not. I don't recall hearing about any sort of "oil bath" for trucks.

The Truckpaper is a good measure of what trucks are selling for across the country. They have regional editions that you may have seen. As far as negotiating room, it depends on how badly they want to sell their equipment. The economy plays a major part of the final selling price. I found my last truck in The Truckpaper. I don't recall how much the original selling price was but I believe that I saved about 10% on the advertised price and I negotiated a couple of minor repairs that the dealer agreed before buying. Actually, the sales manager was not pleased with the final tally after I had them fix a couple of things. You can sometimes get a better deal if you can find a motivated individual who really needs to sell his equipment. I probably check The Truckpaper than any other single commercial source to keep track of current prices. There is another called "Big Truck Trader" that you can find at most convenience stores. It is not free but they sometimes have some good values.

I used to haul plastic pipe , that required a tarp. it was like pulling an open parachut down the highway. killed my m.p.g. when I had the tarp off the wind just sailed thru the open pipe & I would get 2 m.p.g. more. same with some steel coils. hauling shotgun without tarp & the wind sail thri the eye of the coil. have it tarped & it catches more wind

Thanks in advance![/QUOTE]

I don't know about your area but I do better just running a small radius rather then going out. It's more work, a lot of strapping and unstrapping but I like that better then riding all day anyway.

How wide is your radius and what part of the country do you work in?

A lot of weeks my radius is about 100 mile of Baltimore MD, if things are moving, if not I have to go out a little farther.

Are Western Star's good trucks?? there are plenty of 1998 - 2003 Stand up sleeper Western Star's that are 25000 and below..